


Check Your Handbook, It's No Trick

by jannika



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-23
Updated: 2012-07-23
Packaged: 2017-11-19 17:17:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/575699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jannika/pseuds/jannika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A boarding school AU in which Louis means well but doesn’t always have the best ideas, Niall wants them to start a band, Liam listens to advice he probably shouldn't, Harry is new at school, Zayn is waiting for the right time and they're all kind of idiots. (Or the one where Zayn attempts but fails to dislike Harry and it's all Louis' fault and Liam has a really great smile and seriously, guys, Niall just wants to start a band.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Check Your Handbook, It's No Trick

**Author's Note:**

> Because sometimes I think I'm going to write things that aren't One Direction fic and then I'm driving home from work and listening to Vampire Weekend and all I want to do with my life is write boarding school AU. I don't even know. Um. Apologies if my attempt at the British school system here is flawed? I tried. There is the website of an actual UK boarding school up in my google chrome tabs as I type this. So. But I'm sure I got something wrong. Um. Anyway. For all of you who read all of these and of course for [](http://folkloric-feel.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://folkloric-feel.livejournal.com/)**folkloric_feel** the Liam to my Zayn, always.

Zayn's beer has gotten warm despite the dying bonfire and the chilled night air and he winces as he tries to gulp down the rest. The party is fading as fast as the bonfire, people heading home or off to corners to make out or pass out. It's Saturday night, or probably Sunday morning by now, and fall term starts Monday and everyone is drinking away the last weekend of summer like they do every year. It's a tradition, one that's been going on longer than any of them have been alive. Everyone above year ten returns a few days early under the pretense of unpacking and then heads out to someone's parents second house for general debauchery, just as their own parents had probably done. Zayn is just drunk enough to feel a little sad that it's his last time doing this. He's leaned against a tree, Louis draped over his lap, Liam with a lazy arm slung around his shoulder and Niall curled up around all of them, almost asleep.

"He was perfect," Louis is saying, attempting to finish his own beer and spilling most of it on Zayn instead.

"You've said," Zayn says, scowling a little but not meaning it.

"But you don't understand, it was magical," Louis says. He runs his fingers up Zayn's arm, tracing the sticky warm beer he's just spilled there, and then leans his head in and licks the drops off Zayn's arm.

"Really?" Liam asks.

"Yes, it was magical!" Louis insists, grinning at them all. Liam rolls his eyes,

"I was actually referring to you licking Zayn," Liam says.

"M'used to it," Zayn says, trying to swallow down his blush and not let himself go into trains of thought about just how much Liam cares if Louis licks him. He's too drunk, they're too drunk, and making an ass of himself would be a really poor start to term.

"I didn’t want to waste my drink," Louis says, grinning innocently at Liam.

"Good call," Niall says, not bothering to open his eyes.

"I'm just saying, I don't know if Louis' perfect guy would appreciate him licking someone else," Liam says.

"He would understand," Louis says, "he's perfect."

"Louis' perfect guy would have to understand that he licks other people sometimes," Zayn points out.

"You're not other people, you're Zayn," Louis says.

"Zayn's not people?" Niall asks, words so heavy with sleep that Zayn is sure they're going to have to carry him inside.

"You know what I mean," Louis says, then he grins, "did I mention he's smart?"

"Once or twice," Liam says dryly.

"So smart, and he can sing and he has this laugh and his hair and his hands and I miss him already and why is it fall already?" Louis says. He hums and leans further into Zayn. Liam raises his eyebrows and Zayn smirks.

"Do we have to learn to drag race?" Zayn says.

"And fix cars?" Liam asks.

"What?" Louis asks.

"Tell me more," Niall says a sing-song half asleep mumble. Louis smirks.

"My summer dreams were ripped at the seams," he says.

"Your life would turn into Grease," Liam says, fondly, leaning farther into Zayn.

"It's my star power," Louis says, "I always take a little bit of my characters with me."

"From the three whole plays you've been in now?" Liam says.

"You would have to learn to drive," Louis says, "but Zayn can't have a pregnancy scare."

"What?" Zayn asks.

"You guys would have to be Rizzo and Kenickie," Louis says, rolling his eyes like that's obvious. Zayn closes his eyes. He probably set himself up for that one, he should have known Louis would take it there.

"Me?" Niall asks, and Zayn loves him a little for it. Niall has this gift, this thing where he steers conversations back into neutral when they veer towards awkward. Zayn is sure he doesn't do it on purpose at all, but he's grateful anyway.

"You'd still be Niall," Louis says.

"It's cold," Liam says. Zayn can hear the eye roll in his voice, "and it's late and I have things do get ready tomorrow and all the pillows in the house are going to be taken. We should head in. Sleep."

"Anxious to start your prefect duties?" Louis asks.

"I have to give a tour at four to the new sixth forms," Liam says, untangling himself from the rest of them and standing up. He tugs at Niall first, mostly because he's on top of Louis and Zayn.

"Oh God, that's right. There will be new people," Louis says, groaning.

"I can't walk," Niall says.

"What they're awful and I hate them?" Louis says.

"Be nice," Liam says, "And help me carry Niall?"

"Why can't they stay at their own schools?" Louis says, "and I can't. Make Zayn do it."

"Because they come from schools without sixth forms," Liam says. He reaches out and tugs on Zayn's hand then and raises his eyebrows in a question. Zayn squirms out from under Louis and Niall and helps Liam tug Niall up, because he never can say no to Liam.

"They're probably all awful," Louis says, getting to his feet. The four of them start towards the house, stumbling a little.

"Be nice," Liam repeats.

"Zayn's on my side," Louis says.

"Why aren't we sleeping?" Niall asks.

"You'd save me, right Zayn?" Louis asks as they reach the house and Liam and Zayn put Niall down and Liam goes off to hunt for pillows and blankets.

"Always, Lou," Zayn says. Louis beams at him, "not that you deserve it," Zayn adds, since he's pretty sure Liam is out of earshot. Louis leans in and whispers in Zayn's ear,

"Know what my new term resolution is?"

"To get your summer love guy to transfer?" Zayn asks.

"To get you and Liam together," Louis returns.

"Please don't," Zayn says.

"I'm already resolved," Louis says, still whispering and still very much in Zayn's personal space. Not that Louis really believes in personal space.

"I can handle my own love life, you know," Zayn says.

"I disagree," Louis says. Zayn wants to protest that, but then Liam is back and he's pulling them over to the space they'd staked out earlier with their bags, and Louis falls asleep almost as soon as they all lay down.

If Zayn stays up for a little bit just sort of staring at Liam, well. That doesn't mean Louis is right. Really.

**

The thing of it is, he's sort of been in love with Liam since year eight, and he hadn't even known he could fall for a boy at the time, but he'd walked into his dormitory, late, and there had been this guy, his new roommate, already unpacked and sitting on the floor reading the very comic Zayn had been reading on the train ride up. It had all snowballed from there. Liam had invited him to lunch and Liam had watched stupid movies with him and Liam had been interested in Zayn's art. Liam had also come home from his track meets and sessions at the gym with his stupid shirts clinging to him and these big smiles that were just for Zayn on his face. By winter holidays Zayn had been completely smitten.

He'd spent that holiday writing stupid poems about Liam that no one was ever supposed to see. Only then he'd lent Louis his English notes, and when he'd gotten his notes back Louis' red penned scrawl was sitting above a few lines he'd jotted in the back, Liam's name and a question mark above the words Zayn had put and forgotten about. Louis hadn't left him alone about it since.

He really is capable of handling his own life. It’s not like he hasn't dated at all, it's just none of it has ever helped him be any less in love with Liam. It's just that they're best friends and they're roommates and despite Louis' protests that Zayn should just tell Liam, Zayn is always waiting. He's waiting for a big enough sign from Liam or maybe waiting until they graduate and it wouldn't be so bad if things don't go like he wants them to.

"You can't wait forever," Louis will say, weekly or so.

"I don't plan to," Zayn will throw back.

"Just tell him before you lose your chance." Louis will say.

"Not yet," Zayn always says.

Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

**

Liam leaves before he does the first morning of term, and Zayn braces himself because he's got a whole day without Liam, Louis, or Niall in front of him, none of them are in his Monday lessons so he has to wait all they will till dinner to see them. He's not really looking forward to it, although he's pretty sure it might actually help his studies a little if they're not there to distract him.

His day drags on until History when one of the new kids, a curly haired guy called Harry, sits himself down next to Zayn.

"Zayn, right?" He says. Zayn blinks at him.

"Yeah?" He says.

"I'm Harry. Your friend Liam did my welcome thing yesterday and he looked over my schedule and said you were in this class with me," Harry says. Zayn frowns a little, even if part of him can't help but be kind of pleased, like he always is when he thinks about Liam talking about him.

"Oh," he says.

"His phone," Harry says as if he's answering a question.

"What?" Zayn asks.

"That's how I knew what you looked like," Harry says.

"Oh. Right," Zayn says. Then, mostly because he thinks Liam will be disappointed if he doesn't he adds, "Welcome. How's your first day?"

"Long," Harry says. Zayn nods.

"Me too," he says. Class starts then and Harry grins at him one more time before turning to his notebook. Zayn slides his phone out of his pocket and sends a quick message to Liam.

_U could've warned me._

After class is over Zayn walks Harry across campus so he doesn't get lost on the way to his next lesson. He pulls his phone out again after Harry walks inside, grinning at him the whole time. He's got a message from Liam blinking back at him that reads:

_Harry? isn’t he gr8?_

Zayn groans a little. It's not that he had minded Harry, really, it's more that he's just not up for new friends this term. He has people. He doesn't need more of them.

Maybe he is on Louis' side after all, then.

**

Harry is sitting with Liam, Louis and Niall when Zayn gets there that evening. Louis is grinning awfully delightedly for someone who was sure all the new kids were going to be terrible, and Liam and Harry are engaged in conversation like they've been friends for years. Zayn sighs.

"The food's getting better," Niall says as Zayn sits down.

"You always say that," Louis says, "every term."

"It doesn't smell any better," Zayn says, looking down at his tray.

"Did you meet Harry?" Louis asks.

"We have history together," Harry says, smiling.

"Ah. I thought you must have things together," Louis says, "our Zayn here is very smart, you know."

"As opposed to who?" Liam says, arching an eyebrow. Louis smirks.

"Liam love, this morning you sent me a text with the word 'breakfast' spelled wrong," Louis says.

"I was in a hurry! And tired!" Liam says, pouting.

"Yes, yes, you're brilliant, I'm sorry," Louis says, "but Harry has probably read some of those dull-looking books that Zayn is always lugging around."

"We'll have to talk books sometime," Harry says, grinning at Zayn in an irritatingly genuine way.

"Sure," Zayn says.

"Your book club can't be at the same time as band practice," Niall says.

"What?" Zayn asks.

"Louis and I agreed, this term we're actually going to start that band we've been talking about," Niall says.

"During our most challenging academic year yet?" Liam asks.

"While we're young and pretty," Louis throws back, "you sing, right Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry says.

"It's perfect, then," Niall says. Zayn feels like he must have missed something, or possibly an entire week, because he cannot figure out why they are inviting a guy they just met to not only eat lunch with them but to be in the band they don't actually have. They don't do things like this, they don't just let people into the world the four of them have built over the years. He's not sure how Harry got in. He thinks they maybe should have voted on it first or something.

**

Harry is in three more of his classes and eats every meal with them and then. And then.

And then Liam walks into their room on Friday and takes his tie off and looks at Zayn and says,

"So I'm going to go that party tonight with Harry," and Zayn says.

"Okay," and Liam repeats,

"With Harry," he emphasizes the _with_ and Zayn's world sort of falls apart.

He doesn't say anything at all back, he just sort of leaves and storms to Louis and Niall's room and throws himself on Louis' bed.

"You heard?" Louis asks.

"How is this happening?" Zayn asks.

"I told you," Louis says, "this is what waiting gets you."

"Fuck you," Zayn says, because that's the last thing he wants to hear right now.

"I did tell you though," Louis says.

"You're not helping!" Zayn says.

"What do you want me to say?" Louis says. Zayn sits up and glares at him.

"I don't know! You have something to say about everything!"

"You could go talk to him," Louis says.

"No," Zayn says.

"You could go tell him you don't want him to go," Louis says.

"No, I couldn't," Zayn says. Louis sighs and sits down next to Zayn and tugs on him a little and pulls Zayn in so they're sort of half cuddled together.

"I really think you should," Louis says.

"No," Zayn repeats.

"Okay," Louis says, "Soon?"

"Can I just stay here for awhile?" Zayn asks, ignoring the question, "you can tell me about your summer love guy again until I forget about how much my life sucks?"

"As long as you know you're being pathetic. And an idiot," Louis says.

"I know," Zayn says.

"Okay then," Louis says.

Zayn sleeps in Louis and Niall's room that night.

**

"Are you okay?" Liam asks the next morning.

"Fine," Zayn says. Liam frowns.

"No you're not," Liam says.

"I'm fine," Zayn repeats.

"Zayn," Liam says. He scoots over on his computer chair and right into Zayn's space, their knees bumping. Zayn swallows.

"Whatever," Zayn says.

"Come on, talk to me?" Liam asks. He's staring at Zayn all big eyed and concerned and Louis' voice echoes in Zayn's head and he takes a deep breath- and then he says,

"It's fine. I just. Don't know how I feel about Harry, that's all," because he's a coward.

"What do mean?" Liam says, frowning and sitting back a little.

"We just met him, that's all," Zayn says.

"So?"

"So we just met him and now he's everywhere and this huge part of his life and you're going to things with him and I didn't even-" Zayn stops.

"You didn't even what?" Liam says.

"I didn't even know that was a thing you did," Zayn says to the floor because he can't look at Liam.

"What?" Liam says.

"Went to parties with guys," Zayn says, still looking at the floor. Liam actually rolls his chair back at that, and their legs aren't touching anymore, and everything Zayn has wants to reach out and pull him back in but he doesn't. Can't.

"You knew," Liam says, a note of hurt in his voice.

"Talking about things in the middle of the night with me and Louis and Niall isn't the same, making out with Louis when we're all drunk isn't the same," Zayn says. He knows he should just stop, he knows that if he's not going to say what he means then he should just stop, but he can't seem to make himself.

"I like Harry. Shouldn't you be happy for me?" Liam says, and he sounds offended and hurt and Zayn's eyes snap up to see Liam just staring at him, feelings all over his face like Zayn has actually managed to insult him. Zayn feels like an ass. Maybe's Louis' right. Maybe he is just awful at this.

"Fuck, no. I'm sorry, Li," Zayn says, "I'm glad you do, I am. I just. You're my best friend and you've never dated a guy before and then this guy we don't even know comes along and now the two of you are doing things and it's just going take me time to get used to, that's all."

"Okay," Liam says, slowly, studying Zayn, "I'm meeting Harry for brunch. I'd ask you to come. But. Time?" Liam says.

"Yeah," Zayn says, trying to swallow, trying to breathe, "time."

Liam nods and heads out without another word.

**

Zayn decides that the best plan of action is to hate Harry. Clearly, he decides, that if he hates Harry it will make him feel better. If he hates Harry he'll be able to console himself with thoughts about the two of them breaking up.

God, he is pathetic.

Still, he makes a concentrated effort over the next few weeks, as Harry and Liam get closer and go out more and as he has to walk past them holding hands and snuggling on Liam's bed and once even kissing- a sight that had made him hide his head under Louis' pillow for hours- to get to know Harry well enough to have actual reason to dislike him.

It's a colossal failure.

Harry is so damn genuine and he really is smart and when they're paired together on a history assignment Harry is the best partner he's ever had. They have read a lot of the same books and Harry really can sing and Zayn cannot actually find things to dislike about him and it's terrible.

One evening, after band practice with equipment they stole from the music classroom to Liam's halfhearted protest, Zayn offers to make a food run with Harry. They head off and Zayn tries, yet again, to find something to hate about Harry.

"So, I feel like I don't know anything about you," Zayn says.

"We've done two papers together and we're in a band and I'm dating your best mate and we eat like every meal together," Harry says.

"I know, but like, where do you come from?" Zayn asks. Harry grins at him.

"Chesire," Harry says, "Is this like a survey? I'm from Chesire and I enjoy music, books, films, art, cooking and boys."

"You cook?" Zayn asks.

"I do. I was actually planning to make a meal for all of you soon and I think I'm going to bake something if we ever book a gig," Harry says.

"Niall will love you forever," Zayn says.

"I never said I was a good cook. I could make terrible food," Harry says, grinning.

"I've yet to see you be terrible at anything," Zayn says, and he can't quite keep the grumpy note out of his voice. Harry doesn't seem to notice.

"I'm not the best liar," Harry says, like maybe that's a horrible a thing and not just something else to add to his list of good qualities.

"No?" Zayn asks.

"Nope," Harry says.

"Okay. Tell me honestly, then, about dating my best mate," Zayn says. He's not sure what he's hoping for with that, even, he thinks maybe Harry will say something that proves him to be a terrible boyfriend. Not that he actually wants that at all, because that's awful and he does want Liam to be happy. But.

"It's just, sometimes, when you meet a person, it just happens, you know?" Harry says, beaming, "they just make you laugh and things just click and you just know. He's just, it's been really great," Harry finishes. Zayn swallows.

"Yeah?" He asks.

"Yeah," Harry says.

"You guys are really happy?" Zayn asks

"We are," Harry says.

That's the moment that Zayn decides that Harry really just is impossible to hate. Harry is impossible to dislike at all. Harry is impossible not to want to spend more time around. Hell, if things were different _he'd_ be tempted to date Harry.

That just makes him feel worse.

**

He tries to avoid everyone for a few days, but that doesn't really work either. It's hard to avoid people you live with, and it's really lonely, and it just makes him feel worse. He slinks back down in his dining hall seat with them after a couple of days of not showing up and mumbles something about being sick and they all pretend to believe him. He tries to talk to Liam, he really does, but it's hard and it's sharp and he wishes this wasn't happening. Even if Louis' right and it is his fault.

He just doesn't know what to do, what to say, how to act. Liam is Liam and even if Zayn has dated other people and even if time has passed, Liam was the first guy Zayn ever imagined doing anything with, the first guy he ever flirted with in his head, the first guy he imagined kissing, the first guy whose skin he fantasized about tasting, the first guy to take up so much damn space in his mind. There have been other guys, and he's done those things for real, but Liam is so many weird ways his first everything and he doesn’t know how to let that go. Doesn't know how to accept that Liam is having firsts, real firsts, with some other guy. Even if that other guy is sort of great and even if Zayn knows that makes him selfish.

Maybe he should just become celibate. It might be easier.

**

He walks past Harry and Louis talking in an alcove in a hallway a few days later and he pauses and ducks out of sight a little when he hears his name.

"I'm starting to feel really terrible," Louis is saying.

"Me too," Harry says.

"I wanted to tell him the first night, the party night, he was so upset, Haz, it was heartbreaking," Louis says. Zayn frowns and listens in closer.

"I know, you said," Harry says.

"I'm the worst, awful, no good," Louis says.

"You're trying to help," Harry says.

"I think I'm failing," Louis says.

"I think he's starting to like me," Harry says- and Zayn thinks he gets it. It's somehow never occurred to him that Harry might have picked up on Zayn's attempted dislike and asked someone about it. He must have, though, he must have noticed and asked Louis and Louis must have told him that it was because of Zayn's crush on Liam and now Zayn sort of wants to crawl away somewhere and never come out. He's spent so much time trying to hate Harry that it never occurred to him that he's the guy with the crush on someone else's boyfriend. Maybe Harry hates him.

"You think?" Louis asks, frowning.

"I do," Harry says. Louis pulls Harry into a hug then, and Zayn feels awful again, because Harry has already been accepted enough that not only is he at their table and dating Liam and in the band but Louis has been all over him lately, in that way Louis has that means he's accepted you as one of his forever friends. Harry is officially part of their circle now and Zayn is making it hard on everyone. Zayn has Louis caught in the middle.

"This could be bad for the band," Louis says, tugging on Harry's hair.

"It'll work out," Harry says. Zayn pulls back then, not wanting to hear anymore and heads off to hide somewhere and attempt to figure this all out.

 

**

A few days later he resolves to stop being an asshole and just move on with his life. He tells himself he'll just have to get over it and that he needs to get over it before he chases his friends away. He walks into Louis and Niall's room where everyone is gathered on the floor and says,

"I'm sorry."

"What?" Niall asks. Everyone looks up at Zayn, clearly puzzled.

"I suck, I've been a shit friend and I'm sorry," Zayn says.

"When were you a bad friend?" Niall asks. Louis sort of kicks at him for that and shoots him a look.

"I've been being stupid, mostly towards Harry, and I'm sorry. I just, I guess I don't want to lose Liam and I was having this stupid thing where I was really possessive of my friends, but you're- but I like you, Harry and I suck and I'm sorry," Zayn says again. Everyone sort of blinks at him for a minute and then Liam says,

"No."

"No?" Zayn repeats, trying not to panic.

"I can't," Liam says, and then he takes a breath and says, "I'm not dating Harry."

"What?" Zayn says, so thrown he reaches out for the wall to steady himself.

"Sorry," Liam says.

"I don't understand," Zayn says.

"It was Louis' idea and I thought, I mean, it made sense at that time," Liam says.

"But Louis knows how I-" Zayn starts, and then he stops himself and whirls on Harry, "you said you were a shit liar!" He accuses- because even if he really does like Harry, he's still the newest and thus the easiest to yell at.

"I am," Harry says, "I didn't lie to you. In words."

"Yes you did!" Zayn says.

"You asked me about dating your best mate. Last I checked you had more than one of those," Harry says. Zayn stares at him for a long minute, and then, just as what that possibly means is starting to sink in, Louis reaches over and tugs on Harry.

"Talk about me, H?" Louis says. Harry beams at him,

"Of course," Harry says. Louis is beaming back, and the two of them are generally looking at each other like they have never seen a better sight in their entire lives.

"You two?" Zayn asks.

"Zayn, meet my summer love, Harry. Turns out my life really is like Grease. Harry showed up here on at the start of term," Louis says, not even bothering to look up from Harry as he says it.

"But," Zayn manages.

"This didn't work like it was supposed to," Harry says.

"You're just too damn loveable," Louis says, pulling Harry in even closer and kissing him.

"Are we done with weird games now?" Niall asks, "because that was really getting old."

"Why did everyone know this but me?" Zayn asks, and right now he's taking back all those things he thought about them being good friends. He hates all of them. He wishes he hated all of them. Liam jumps up to his feet then and grabs on Zayn's hand and pulls him into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

"Louis knows how you what?" Liam says as soon as the door is shut.

"What?" Zayn asks, crossing his arms.

"You said Louis knew how you- and then you stopped. What does Louis know?" Liam asks.

"I don't think I'm the one that owes anyone an explanation here," Zayn says. Liam sighs and closes his eyes a little and leans against the sink.

"Sorry," he says.

"What the hell, Li?" Zayn says, soft and serious and he feels like he'd have every right to be really, really angry here but he's not. Not really.

"Louis thought," Liam starts, running a hand through his hair, "Louis thought that if Harry and I pretended to date, he thought you would- it was a bad idea and I shouldn't have listened."

"But, Harry is with Louis," Zayn says.

"Yeah. I know. But Louis was resolved and you know how Louis is and he convinced me it was a good idea and it wasn't but," Liam says.

"Resolved?" Zayn asks, because suddenly all the pieces of an incredibly obvious puzzle are coming together in his mind and he is going to kill Louis. Absolutely kill him.

"Yeah," Liam says.

"His new term resolution?" Zayn asks. Liam blushes and it's like an alarm is dinging in Zayn's brain.

Now. Now. Now.

So he reaches out and he tugs on Liam by the belt loops and he brings their faces together and then he's kissing Liam like he's wanted to do since he was fourteen fucking years old.

"Oh," Liam says against his lips when they pull back.

"Louis knows how I feel about you," Zayn says, answering Liam's earlier question.

"Oh," Liam breathes again, and then it's his hand that is insistent on the back of Zayn's neck, pulling him in for another kiss and his hips that are sliding in even closer to Zayn's.

"How I've felt about you for years," Zayn clarifies when they pull back again.

"I. Me too," Liam says, "I was- I didn't want you to think, I mean. I didn't want to seem like I was just curious because of you and Louis? I didn't want you to think I was just, that I was just curious and you were there? I was worried you would think that and Louis said that was stupid but I just, I didn't want that and Louis said if I was dating someone else first it would make you jealous and make you think I was serious. About boys. But I only wanted you," Liam says, all in a rush, all heavy breathes and speeding pulse and so close, so close the way Zayn has always wanted him to be.

"I wouldn't have thought that," Zayn says.

"Yeah?" Liam asks.

"You're Liam. I know you wouldn't," Zayn says. Then he frowns because if Liam explained he probably should too and he says, "I just- didn't want to lose you or mess things up. We share a room and if you hated me or it got weird, I don't think I would have been able to deal with that. Not that I thought you'd be- I mean, I knew that you'd be _you_ about it but." Zayn says.

"That I'd be me?" Liam repeats, and the hand he has moving around Zayn's back slides under Zayn's shirt and Zayn shivers and says,

"I didn't really think you'd hate me, but, telling you I've been in love with you since the first day I saw you is a lot of pressure," Zayn says. Liam flushes.

"You have?" he asks.

"That's okay, yeah?" Zayn asks. Liam kisses him again, softly.

"It's the best thing I've ever heard, actually," Liam says. Zayn grins and pulls him in even closer. They kiss again, hands sliding all each other until there is a knock at the door and Louis' voice says,

"Lads? Boys?" No one has either killed each other or is plotting my death, right?"

"I'm not sure about the second one yet," Zayn calls back.

"You just didn't talk to each other! And neither of you ever believed me when I told you it was mutual, which I did try to. I did. I tried telling you that I was absolutely sure. And I didn't know what else to do because you two were literally moving at the slowest relationship speed I've ever seen. I had to take action!" Louis says. Zayn grins and then his grin becomes a smirk and he leans forward and whispers in Liam's ear,

"We could just go back to our room," he says. Liam raises an eyebrow and catches on.

"And let Lou worry a little?" Liam says.

"Just till morning," Zayn says.

"He meant well," Liam says, but he's smirking.

"He did," Zayn agrees.

"But we could worry him just a little," Liam says. Zayn grins back, and they seriously consider it for a moment, but then Louis' voice says,

"Boys?" edging towards desperate, and Zayn sighs and nods and Liam calls back,

"We love you, Louis, but we're a little busy."

"Busy," Louis repeats, "Busy. They're _busy_. Harry. Niall. Liam and Zayn are busy. Behind a closed door. That might be the best thing I've ever heard. Not counting that sound you made last night, Haz."

"So are we all happy now? Can we go back to sort of normal?" Niall's voice asks, "and can you not talk about sex sounds?"

"I win!" Louis' voice says. Harry's voices laughs back and then mutters something Zayn can't quiet hear and then there are footsteps that must be Louis walking away.

"Or we could make him buy us really expensive dinner on our first real date," Zayn says.

"Or that," Liam agrees.

"Or," Zayn says, "We could. Well I could- we don't have to go to our room just yet."

"Yeah?" Liam raises his eyebrows. Zayn smirks and guides him so Liam is up against the wall, and then he takes his hand and trails it over Liam's zipper experimentally. Liam gulps and flushes and nods rapidly. Zayn grins and undoes the button and then the zipper and then puts a hand on Liam through is boxers and leans up and whispers in Liam's ear again,

"Since you know, Louis wanted to help so much, we could show him our appreciation. By not leaving his bathroom while I do this," Zayn finishes and then he drops down on his knee and takes Liam's pants and boxers with him like he's wanted to, like he's thought about hundreds of times. Thousands maybe. And Liam says,

"Um. God. Good. Yes. Please," and it's really all Zayn needs to hear- and a few minutes later when Liam gasps out and moans and the rocking of his hips thuds against the wall Louis calls out,

"Really? You live three doors down," but they can hear the pleased and sort of proud smirk in his voice.

"I live here too, assholes," Niall says, but there is a laugh in his voice too, and Liam is flushed and red and so close already and as he finishes and shakes and fists a hand tight in Zayn's hair Niall's voice cuts in from the other room again-

"I swear to god Harry, if your hand goes any lower than that I am leaving. Two couples getting it on at once is a little weird," and Harry and Louis laugh and Liam is beaming as he comes down and he tugs Zayn up and kisses him and-

This. This is going to be the best term ever.

**


End file.
